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Biggest Winners and Losers From the Sacramento Kings' Draft

Jan 14, 2026; Sacramento, California, USA; Sacramento Kings center Dylan Cardwell (32) cheers up the crowd after a play during the second quarter against the New York Knicks at Golden 1 Center. Mandatory Credit: Sergio Estrada-Imagn Images Sergio Estrada-Imagn Images

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Biggest Winners and Losers From the Sacramento Kings' Draft

Originally posted on Sacramento Kings on SI
By Will Zimmerle | Last updated Jun 24, 2026 5:30 PM ET

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The long wait is finally over, and Darius Acuff Jr. is officially a Sacramento King. After weeks of rumors connecting the Kings and Acuff, Scott Perry got his guy with the seventh overall pick. And not only that, but he was able to jump back into the late first round to select Alex Karaban as well with the 29th pick.

Sacramento still has the 45th pick tonight, but now that the first round is over, let's get into the biggest winners and losers from night one of the draft for the Kings.

Winner - Nique Clifford

Last offseason, Scott Perry went out and got Nique Clifford as his first building block and move of the summer, trading into the first round to get him, much like he did last night with Karaban. Clifford may not have gotten all the headlines that fellow rookie Maxime Raynaud did in his rookie season, but he quietly put together a strong first year in the NBA.

He averaged 8.6 points, 3.8 rebounds, and 2.4 assists on 41.8% shooting from the field and 33.3% from three. The numbers don't jump off the page, but Clifford showed that he can do a little bit of everything on the court, on both sides of the ball.

Luckily for Clifford, his new running mate in Acuff has numbers that don't jump off the page; they leap off. Acuff is a true scorer and a lead guard who can carry an offense. Not to say that Clifford can't lead an offense, but the two of them have games that should fit together like the last piece in a puzzle.

Acuff's biggest weakness is defense, and Clifford should help carry that burden while Acuff leads the offense. Their games should complement each other well, and there's still time to see how the rest of the offseason shakes out, but the duo of Acuff and Clifford could be a perfect fit together for years to come.

Loser - Devin Carter

Robert Edwards-Imagn Images

On the flipside, there's Devin Carter. Just two years ago, he was the 13th pick in the draft, and many hoped that he would be a draft-day steal that slid down to the Kings. But now, he's on the outside looking in and behind a top-tier prospect in Acuff.

Carter showed some promise at the end of last season, but it's hard to picture his future in Sacramento. Doug Christie went to two-way player Daeqwon Plowden more throughout the year, more times than Carter, which is a good indicator of where he stands with the coaching staff and franchise.

In the end, it could be a win for Carter if he's ultimately traded to a new team for a fresh start, but if he's still in Sacramento next year, it's going to be even harder for him to carve out a role than it was last year.

Loser - Kings Defense

While Acuff is known for offense, he's almost as well known for his defense, or his lack thereof. It's hard to argue that Acuff isn't one of, if not the most, skilled players in the draft, but the reason he fell to the Kings at seven was his defensive concerns.

In a perfect system, you can build around that type of player, but the Kings aren't quite there yet. Zach LaVine is still on the roster, and he and Acuff could easily be one of the worst defensive backcourts in the league. Clifford may be a great fit next to Acuff, but Scott Perry still has a lot of work to do to fill out the rest of the roster around the rookie guard.

Winner - Dylan Cardwell

Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

The best starting point for that defensive unit to build around Acuff may already be on the team, though. If there's one thing that can help protect a perimeter player on the backend, it's a true rim protecting big.

Maxime Raynaud still has a lot of work to do on the defensive side of the ball, and that could open up a huge role for Cardwell, either off the bench or in the starting lineup with Raynaud. Regardless of role, Cardwell taking that next leap as a defensive anchor is going to be massive for the Kings' next steps, and Acuff's addition only makes that a stronger case.

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This article first appeared on Sacramento Kings on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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